Hotties have Feelings too
by Rink
Summary: WARNING: Taiora and Mimato! story: Tai's girlfriend breaks up with him, accusing all 'jocks' of being self absorbed and insensitive! In order to win her back, Tai's friend, Sora pretends to be his girlfriend and goes from "tom boy" to "femine queen" Co
1. Hotties have Feelings too

To all readers:  I know this is the usual stuff, but I have to say that I do not own digimon and do not plan to make any "mula" off of it in any way.  Okay?  Now, that we've got that cleared up, go on and read my story!  Please be constructive and not too harsh!  Thank you and enjoy.

**Hotties**** have Feelings too**

**Chapter 1              **

"I can't believe that girl!" I heard my friend scream as he smashed his forehead against the surface of his locker.  His chocolate brown eyes were burnt with rage and his fist were clenched tight with sweat.

"What happened this time, Tai?"  I smiled and watched with amusement as his locker was punched and dented into foil.  I knew that his anger was due to that slutty girlfriend of his.  "Was it another one of her spontaneous crushes?" I smirked. "  Is she sure he's her true love this time or not? Haha!"  I burst out laughing and had to suppress my hysterics to avoid myself from being pummeled into a bundle of cuts and bruised flesh.

"What do you think?!" His eyes thinned into to black slits, "God Sora!  You really know how to make a guy feel better!  Can't you just shut your hole and have a little compassion for once!"  He slammed his palm hard on his locker and closed his eyes.  Sigh…I guess I should be a little more compassionate.  I made up my mind that I would at least try.

"Tai….that girl of yours isn't the only fish in the sea.  I mean, you could easily find another girlfriend by…uh.."  I looked at my angry friend and realized that none of the words I was saying  were getting through to him. "Hey, Tai?  Maybe…uh…maybe Tessa isn't that important.  She's only ONE girl."

"Yea, one very _fine_ girl." he breathed out  and looked at the floor in defeat.  It was obvious that none of what I was saying was doing any good.  Tai was my best 'bud' ever since elementary school and I wanted to help him more than ever.  Nevertheless, those black slits of his had turned to caramel pools of despair and his fingers were pacing over the numbers on his lock.  There was nothing I could do.  I was an orange headed, soccer playing "tom boy" and my thoughts and opinions on life itself were entirely different from any other girl in the school.  When they wore skirts, I wore baggy denim jeans and black army belts.  My hair was a reflection of the unfashionable sport obsessed freak I was and brushing it more than twice a week was out of the question.  So, how may I ask, could a girl like me possibly help a friend with his "chick-problems"?  I leaned against my locker and  sighed in a loss of hope. 

"You wanna know why she dumped me, **this** time?"

I looked up and forced a smile.  "Yeah, let's hear it."  My stance relaxed a bit and I was pressing my back against the lockers, a hand grasping the rim of my falling britches (pants). "So?"

"Well," he began "Unlike every other time she dumped me this year, **this time**, she claims that she wants to break up for a different reason."  He ran a hand through his thick brown locks and laughed, almost in a sad pathetic whimper. " Sora , this time she says she's dumping me for one of those poetic, romantic, sensitive bastards!  In addition to that, she's got this theory on 'hot athletic guys' which she was kind enough to share with me a minute ago."

"You mean on popular jocks?" I chuckled. "And what exactly IS her theory on them?"

"To make long story short, she says guys like me are self-absorbed, insensitive muscle heads.  We don't give a shit for feelings and much less understand the drastic changes a girl goes through on her journey into woman-hood!"  He mimicked Tessa's high pitched whine almost perfectly as he said the last part of the sentence. 

I laughed and raised both my arms, "Now what?!  Are you just gonna let her make a stereotype like that, and allow her to leave you for some 'sensitive' freak?!"  My eyes went back to him and I waited for an answer. "Tai, what are you going to do this time?  It's just stupid for you to keep going after her like this."

 He looked at me then looked back at the floor.  "I..I just don't know any more, Sora.  Gosh, I'd do almost anything  to get her back! But, to be honest….I don't know what the hell I can do about it!  I can't just NOT BE a popular jock!  It's not up to me.  That fricking theory ….if I could just…"

"If you could just SHOW her how sensitive you can be, then maybe she'd forget her stupid theory and want you back again?!  Is that it?  Ha!  Just forget about her, Tai!  She's just not worth the effort!"  I let out a little chuckle and headed for the front gate of the school. "You coming?" 

"Yeah, hold up!"  He whipped his battered locker closed and jogged up next to me.   The two of us passed through the front gates of school and I started whistling a tune as we cruised down the avenue.  Finally he spoke up and said out loud, "I've got it."

"Got what, Tai ?" I asked.

He turned to me and I flinched as soon as I saw that look of mischief in his eyes.  Every time he  flashed that look for even a second I knew that something was up.  He smirked and slung his right arm over my shoulder.   "Sora, you're my best friend right?"  I walked, a little hunched over and shot him a side glance of mistrust. There was no way I was giving in to his whole "best friend loyalty speech".

"Maybe.  Depends on what your going to say next." 

Tai looked at me and nodded his head, "Okay.  You see, I was thinking that maybe your idea of SHOWING Tessa that I'm a sensitive guy , is right on the money.  But the only thing is, that for this plan to work I'm gonna need _your_ help."

"Oh really…" I muttered.

"Oh yes, really."  He smiled, "The plan is this.  I am gonna get Tessa back by being more lovable than that guy she's with now, ever could be.  I'll be sweet, I'll be pure, understanding, etc. and I will do that, by giving it (love and affection) to some one else, who is right there in front of her."

"You mean, a pretend girlfriend."

"Yes!  Exactly!  Throughout the entire time I am with this 'pretend' girlfriend, I'll display all of my ability to be the sensitive, caring boyfriend of her dreams.  At first she'll believe that I'm only pretending, but soon as she realizes I am not, she'll want me back."  He led us up the stairs of his house and unlocked the front door with a key hid under a potted plant.  As soon as we got upstairs to his room I threw down my bag and let him know what I thought.

"You know, Tai, I'd do a lot for you, but pretending to be your girlfriend is one thing I won't and CANNOT do.  I mean look at me!  I'm as close as a girl can get to being a boy without liking other girls!"

He looked at me and closed his eyes in a train of thought.  "It is true that you are a tom boy", he sighed and sauntered over to his bed ,collapsing into the soft white sheets. "But underneath all that, you're still a girl, Sora" he smirked and looked back at me. "With a little…er…BIG make over, I bet you could be like most other chicks. Haha!"  I jumped onto the bed and punched at his sides as he laughed and shielded himself with a pillow. "Stop!  Haha!  Stop! Stop!"  After a few more slaps at his head I tumbled to the floor satisfied. 

"You're such a wimp, Tai."

"And you're a dick." He poked his head out from underneath the sheets, and combed his soft brown hair with three fingers. I waited until he was finished grooming to speak.

"So, who do you think would even agree to give _me _a make over? They've definitely gotta be mad."

"Crazy, I'd say." 

"Well thank you for saying so."  I shot him a nasty glare.

He propped himself on his elbows and laughed as I fumed at him. "You're welcome."

"Well, WHO, doofus-but?"

He suddenly grabbed the cell from his pants pocket, and started to dial a number, ignoring my question.

"HELLLLLLOO?  EARTH TO TAI!" I yelled and pounded my fist against the plush white carpet.  He still ignored my question still, and concentrated, almost meditated to the sound of ringing tone on the other line.  I reluctantly gave up. 

The call was answered soon after, "Hello, is Matt there?" Tai asked politely.  He bit his lip and mumbled "…uh..thanks."  Another minute passed by and he lied there waiting patiently.

A voice soon poured through the receiver so loud that I could hear, "Hello, this is Matt."

Tai smirked.  "Matt!  Guess who buddy?" 

"Tai?  Is that you?"

"Hey hey!  Wassup G?"  Tai was obviously thrilled to be talking to this friend of his and it took him a whole ten minutes to get to the point of his entire phone call.  He finally asked his friend "Matt" if he thought Matt's girl friend  was up to doing a make over the upcoming weekend.

"For who man?   Your girlfriend?"

"No, Matt.  It's actually for a good friend of mine."  He looked at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Sure thing, I can ask her.  My girlfriend is always up for doing makeovers."

"Saturday okay?"

"Yeah, probably man."

"Thanks, Matt.  Catch you later."

"See ya."  Beep.  In a matter of seconds, the small portable phone was back in his pocket and a devious grin was spread across his tan smiling face.  He looked  back at me, that mischievous look back in his eyes.  "Ready to get…girly, tom boy?"

"Hn" I muttered.  _Over my dead body._


	2. Anything for a Price

**Hotties Have Feelings too**

**************

I grabbed my backpack, and swung it over next to me.  Tai was still lying on bed, and I tried to ignore the fact that he was staring at me as if I were going to say something.  _Hmph! Yeah right!  As if I would even want to look at him, after that "plan" he just made with his "homie G", Matt!_  I pursed my lips into a thin frown and commenced a search through my bag for the homework that was due tomorrow.  My papers were a mess, and my folders were just screaming for more masking tape.  I flipped through  the first few pages of wrinkled paper and finally found the worksheet that  matched the description of what I was looking for.  It was a white sheet filled with math equations and was absent mindedly creased in several places since I had just stuffed it in my bag after first period. _"Oh, Mr. Peters (my math teacher) will love this." _I thought sarcastically, and dug even further to find a pencil good enough to write with.  Silly me.  All of them, except one mechanical one, were broken. Yea.

"So," Tai said, swinging himself off the bed and onto his feet, "You actually going to do some homework while you're here?"  I knew that he was grinning and I didn't even bother to turn to see if I was right.  He stepped a few feet closer to me and leaned over to see what I was doing.  "What's that?  Something due a long time ago?  Ha!  Probably.  Since when did you do homework, Sora?"  He laughed and sat down next to me, and I scooted further away from him.  

"Whoa what's up with you?" He laughed, and raked a hand through chocolate bangs.

"Oh, nothing."  I said calmly yet sarcastically.  I looked stoically at my homework and began to write as I squeezed my pencil harder.  _I just want to shove this pencil up your ass for even  considering giving me, of all people, a makeover!  Yup!  That's all!  _I squeezed even harder and felt the sweat sliding between my fingers.

" Nothing!  Ha! Yeah right!   You squeeze that pencil and harder and I swear to ba-jesus that you won't have something to right with soon!"  He laughed again and stood up to walk to his closet on the other side of the room.  He was probably going to change his shirt, so I kept my eyes on the homework and started to calm down.  Slowly.

"So, Sora," he called from the closet, " whats say we get you some anger management?  I mean, if you're gonna help me out with this "Tessa" thing….you're most likely gonna need more patience then what you're displaying now.  Yups. That much I can tell you."  He swiped off his first shirt and pulled another one back over his head.  I would have gone over there and punched him, but luckily for him I wasn't really paying attention.

"Hey Sora ol' buddy?"

"what?!" I growled.

"Er…um…can I ask you a question?"  He walked back over to his bed, and sat at the edge of the mattress.

"Um…I guess." I growled again.

He brushed a hand through his hair again and took in a deep breath.  "Okay….well, my question is…have you ever worn a dress?  Or maybe even a skirt, before? Ever?"  I rolled my eyes to glare at him and  turned back to the work in my lap.

"Of course I have, Tai."

"What?!" He screamed and guffawed at the same time, "YOU…in a DRESS?!  Since when?!" He laughed  and rolled onto his stomach  to look at me.

I sighed and threw my homework to the side. " WHEN- I -WAS -FOUR- YEARS- OLD!" I almost growled, clenching my teeth tight together. "It's not like I had a choice, Tai."

" Of course, Sora." he chuckled, "So…um..what was the occation?"

I looked dangerously at him and huffed out a breath of air. " It was this stupid birthday party I went to for some kid in the neighborhood."  Looking up, I saw him smirk and rest his cheek in the palm of his hand.   I took in a breath of air and continued. " I really just wanted to wear some pants and my favorite shirt…but, my MOM wanted me to wear this 'lovely little dress' that I absolutely hated!  It was something I most definitely would not be caught **dead** in now, but as you probably guessed, I didn't have much of a choice.  So…the situation being that SHE was the MOM, and I was the KID…I HAD to wear the freaking dress."  I groaned and closed my eyes, remembering that fateful day, "That stupid, pink, flowery, frilly …"

"Hey, you know…it could have been worse."

"Yea right!"  I screamed and threw my pencil like a dart at the wall, "It was an 'ALL-BOYS party and I was the only one there who wore anything even close to pink!  When I got there all the guys were laughing at me, and all I could do was pretty much stand, and  foam at the mouth.  You know, when they went outside to play a game of soccer I had to sit and take care of the 'birthday boy's" baby sister?!  She pooped TWICE and spit-up on the front of my dress!"  I leaned against the wall and curled both arms around my head.  It occurred to me that I didn't want to talk about this any more.  It was giving me a migraine.

"Okay, okay, so you had to wear a stupid dress once.  But that was all, and you didn't have to wear one again…right?"  He stared and me for a while, but when he realized that I wasn't going to answer he continued to speak again.  "Well, anyways, I guess in the…er…"Tessa" plan ….you aren't exactly required to.  But then again, you will need to be a bit more feminine and …um…pretty-like."

"What?!"  I screamed. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?….'pretty-like'?"  I jumped up onto both of my feet and made my way to the wall, at which I threw my pencil before.  "Does 'pretty-like' mean you expect me to act like a bitchy cheerleader or something?"

"A BITCHY cheerleader?" he laughed. "No, more like a …erm…uh..uh..um..a NICE cheerleader!  Haha! Yea, a friendly, girly, peppy cheerleader…er…girly girl!"

I snatched the pencil off from the floor and glared at him.  "You making some kind of death wish, Tai?"

"I…er…I guess seeing you in a dress would be some kind of death wish, but…uh…no, actually…I "

"You Bastard!"  I yelled and threw the pencil at him.  He blocked it with his arm and I groaned.  "_Darn it!" _I mentally screamed_, "I was hoping that it  would lodge somewhere in his frickin' head!  Damn, damn, damn my stupid aim! "  _I looked at him and sighed.  Finally I realized there was no  way in hell, I was going to get out of that plan of his.  I knew how committed Tai really was to all of his plans, and this resistance of mine, was getting me no where.  I knew what I had to do.  "Tai, why are you so persistent in getting Tessa Richardson back?"

He looked at me and smiled sheepishly , then looked to the side, unsmiling. "I like her a lot, I guess…she's my type, and …well, she's …hot."  After uttering that last word, he didn't turn to look at me again and continued to stare at the floor.

In response, I gently took a strand of my auburn locks between my thumb and forefinger as I strolled over to his bed. By now, I was almost fully calmed down, decided that I should try to 'some what' comfort him..   "You know Tai…" I said sitting down on the mattress, "Being hot, itself isn't everything, and I bet that somewhere… out there , is some other perfect girl, just waiting to be yours, and yours alone.  Besides, its not like Tess is the only gorgeous girl on the planet.  You can easily get another one."  _Oo…scratch that,Sora! Say something else fast! "_Er…Okay, well maybe you  won't get **the perfect girl**," I quipped, "… but I know for sure that if you're looking for  some "sluty" bitchy cheerleader, we got plenty of those at our school."  _Good job shit head!  So much for comfort! _Tai flashed me a weird expression and cocked up one of his eyebrows.  Gulping down my pride, I continued, "Um…chasing down Tess, is simply a waste of your time."  I explained "Think of all the other fun stuff you could do without having to deal with a girlfriend.  Heck!   I, for one, would _love _to have that extra time for myself.  Wouldn't you, Tai? "  

A defeated sigh escaped his parted lips and didn't seem to hear any words follow, as an answer to my question.  _This whole prep-speech was useless. _ I braced myself , and put a hand on each knee, "I  don't know what you're thinking, Tai, but I can tell you that  if it's about Tessa …you should just **stop** it right now. Start thinking of something to keep your mind off of her."  

Then he looked at me with a sad kind of face, and I almost lost my nerve at the sight of his eyes.  Yet  I knew that I had to go on, so I spoke with a little more confidence, "There are lots of chicks out there, Tai…and it's not worth getting upset over one silly girl who broke your heart!  Tai…it's just not worth it!  Come on, Tessa's  just a poor excuse of s girl, who's only purpose in life is to get some one like you, a popular jock, to notice her…that's all she'll ever be worth! It's as plain and simple as that.  I, for one think that _if_ you plan to continue this stupid love-sick behavior of yours, you should at least respect yourself and go after someone who's worth the time." 

My right fist slammed into the palm of my left, and I looked down at him with a grin.   "Believe me, Tai, one day you will look back on this conversation we had when we were both juniors in high school, and say, 'Hey, you know what?…my best friend, Sora was right.  I was pretty dumb to drool over a girl like that 'Richardson girl' and just get myself all hung up on it!  I was really stupid!'  Also, I promise you, that you'll never regret getting the courage to dump _her_, for once, and leave _her_ for some other girl or hobby  you like, cause it'll be much more worth your time than she is.  God, I can't stress that enough, man! Which is why  I'm trying to get this through to you _now_, before you go and do something rash.  You know?  Something stupid like you always do when Tessa goes and dumps you!" I glanced at him quickly trying to analyze his reaction, and slid onto the floor towards my bag.  I was hoping he got the message this time, and I prayed to the heavens, that I was finally right.

And then his voice came, and completely smashed my hope of getting through , "So does this mean, you're gonna help me get my Tessa back?  Cause if you are….I'd really…"

I didn't even turn.  I just fell on the floor in a heap of groans, and moans, and tried desperately not to scream angrily  into his face.  He, on the other hand, kept going on about how great it was that I was helping him, and didn't even notice me in my pure state of relentless frustration. 

"I didn't say that, Tai!  I didn't even say I'd support your whole plan in the first place!"

He looked at me and smiled, "But, you didn't say you weren't going to in that whole speech…now did you?   Besides, what's the big deal?  It's for a good cause and I know that I can trust you to come through for me, right?  I'm resting my fate in your hands."  He was very convinced that he had me quite fooled, and I was beginning to give in to his persistence.

"I really don't think that I should, Tai.  It's for your own good."

"But, why not?   If you do, I'll make sure you get something good out of it.  You know?  Perhaps you need a little motivation.  Something to persuade you to help me"  He rubbed his pointer finger and thumb together and  smirked.

"So what did you have in mind, Tai?  It better not just be the happiness of you and that…."

"No!  Not that!"  He said outstretching his arms in a stop signal, and smiled "I meant something more like…a…gift.  A nice little something that you might want in exchange for your help.  So…what's it that you would like to have?"

Folding my arms in front of my chest, I looked at the floor and thought.  Then it came to me and  I smiled.  "Oh, I know what I want.  Tai, you must know what I'm talking about. Let's see, I've told you at least a million times before….um…  It's got wheels, its cool, you can find it at that store we always go to…"

He closed his eyes and in an effort  to remember, then suddenly caught his breath and stuttered, "But, I…Sora…that's too much mula…I don't' have…enough to…"

"Pay for it, Tai?  Oh, I know.  But…if you really want my help, I'm afraid you'll have to make some money fast or…"  I smirked and shrugged my shoulders, "I just can't help you with your chick problem.  Sorry.  I simply don' t think I should."  He looked at me and I smiled again .  "Well, if you can't ….I guess that it just means that you and Tess are…. or will eventually be through for goo…"

"DON'T SAY IT!"  he yelled and looked down, defeated, "I'll do it.  Okay?  I'll find someway to get you that board you wanted and I'll even throw in some stickers for good measure.  Alright?  You got it? How's that for motivation?!  You satisfied, Sora?!"

I beamed at him and jumped into the air whooping and screaming for joy.  "DAMN STRAIGHT!" I yelled and looked at the clock on his dresser.  "Well, Tai …looks like I better be going.  My mom's got a thing for me being late for dinner, guess I'll catch you later!"  He gave me a tired look and waved me off with the lazy motion of his right hand.  I smirked and slapped him on the back, "Don't be so upset, Tai.  With me on your side, boy…you'll have Tessa back in your arms in no time!"  He gave a nod with his eyes some what fixed on the floor as he touched the plush carpet with his fingertips.  It seemed as if he'd be depressed by his future loss of money for a while, but…I knew that he'd pull through within a couple of days.  I grabbed my bag and screamed, "Later!" and within a few seconds, was out the door of his bedroom and down the stairs to the front door.  But, as I should have guessed, it was only a minute before I was suddenly stopped by the sound of Tai's voice, just as I was about to leave.  He bounded down the stairs within seconds, and slid out in front of my path to my exit.  _So what did he want now?  _I looked straight at him with an eyebrow raised high, and waited for him to deliver.

"I wanted to remind you," he said, a little out of breath, "that you have to come here on Saturday.  Be here about….twelve o' clock, and don't even think about ditching me."  He looked at me expectantly, and leaned against the side of the door with his hand on the door frame.  "I need you to meet my friend's girlfriend."  He smiled, "She's giving you a makeover, you know."

I glared at him, and remembered the deal I had made.  I sighed and eased up on my glare. "I'll be there."  I said calmly yet full of resentment, "But don't expect me to like it one bit."  He smiled and put a cool hand on my shoulder.   For some reason, I expected him to laugh, but he just looked at me and started to walk away as I wondered what he was thinking.

"I wouldn't expect you to like it, of course."  He climbed up the first stair and looked down at me. "I know that you hate to wear makeup and all…but still, there's no skateboard for you, until I get Tess.  You know that's part of the deal.  I need you to understand that."

"I understand that, Tai" I said, "and I'm sure that you'll have Tess back soon."  I stared at him as he climbed up the stairs further. "But don't try to get me into a dress you damn asshole…..or I swear that you'll get your butt kicked!"  

As soon as he reached the top,  there was laughter and he looked back at me with a smile.  Though his body was turned towards the other direction he was looking at me, in the front door's direction.  It was strange how he looked and said nothing, but I knew what he thought without having to hear it from him.  I knew that much worse then a dress was coming.  

It was like some kind of impending doom.  A premonition, perhaps.

**************

The next day of school, was as long and tedious as any other Friday at school is.  I woke up in the morning to the sound of my mother screaming, quickly threw on a pair of old jeans, and had to dig threw the dirty clothes for a shirt that didn't reek of dirt and sweat.  When I finally found that shirt, I pulled it over my head and ran to the bathroom to pee and ….do all that other stuff people do in the morning.  Then, in a state of panic and fear I searched around the house for the homework I had done the night before at Tai's house.  It was nowhere to be found, so immediately I starting running the best excuses I could think of through my sleepy head, and ran to the kitchen to eat my breakfast.

"So did you do your homework last night?"  My mom asked as she searched through the fridge for something suitable to eat.

I didn't really think that telling her 'I did' would be a lie so I looked up at her and said, "yes."  with the most angelic face I could muster.  After all, it wasn't like I never actually did the homework.  It was just that I couldn't find it this morning, and would have to look for it later on.

"So when did you do it?"  She asked and opened a cupboard, " I didn't see you working last night,  I just saw you come home and watch the T.V. till about twelve o' clock. "

I looked at the counter and smiled, "Well, mom.  You'll never believe this, but…I did it at Tai's house."

She turned to give me the 'look' and put her right hand on her hip, " You're right.  I don't believe you.  All you do over there, is play video games and kick around the soccer ball.  How could possibly have got any homework done?"  She walked over to me and placed a cereal bar in my hand, "Still…I should have faith in my own daughter, although what I truly believe is that you're making it up.  Anyway, Sora, you're gonna be late if you walk to school, so…wait for me at the car, and I 'll be there in a minute."  She left the kitchen without another word and walked to her room to get dressed in her work clothes.  I watched her go for a while, then quickly scurried around the house for a minute, in hopes that I'd find my lost paper.  No luck.  I didn't get a single thing, except for the English essay that was due about a month ago, so I stuffed it in my bag and ran out the door to the car.

Who know?  Maybe I'd find my homework on my way to school.

Unfortunately, I soon found out that my homework wasn't there either.  As I rummaged frantically through all of my mom's folders and rolls of undeveloped film, I came across three rusted quarters and a penny, but no homework papers.  I looked further, throughout the car, but still did not succeed in finding the missing papers by the time I reached the school.  In a last resort to save myself from an unwanted confrontation with Mr. Peters, I leaned my head back onto the head rest and pretended to moan in pain as my mom looked at me in disbelief.  "Don't think I'm gonna fall for that, Sora.  You've got your first class in two minutes and theirs no way I'm going to let you get out of going to school, for that overused excuse of yours."  I glared at her and reached for the door.   "That's a good girl, Honey.  You'll be fine.  Oh, and, I won't be home till late this evening, so just go over to Tai's house for dinner, his mother said that she would be happy to feed you since I won't be home tonight."

When I stepped out of the car I slammed the door and turned around to stick my head in the window.  "I'm sixteen years old, mom.  I can make my own dinner!"  I glared at her and she looked at me with a simple smile. I sighed and moved away from the car.  "I'm gonna be late for school, mom!  I have to make it to class in a minute, so I have to go now!"

"Okay, Sora….but honey, don't forget your…."

Before she finished her sentence, I flew through the front doors of school and was running like the wind to homeroom.  I wondered what she was saying about forgetting something, but relinquished the thought as I entered the classroom.

"Uh…"  I looked around and found that not single student was in the room.  _Could I be late?  _I thought as I ran my eyes across the rows of desks and chairs.  _No, that couldn't be right.  The late bell didn't even ring yet.  _I looked down the hall and listened for voices, but not a soul could be heard, at least not within my hearing range.  Frowning, I tried to remember if my teacher had said anything about an event we were having this morning when she read the schedule yesterday. "Lets see…there was the football game on Saturday, er…the bake sale…but no, that's next week….uh…the fair, but that's in three months…um…"  I looked around for some kind of sign but nothing came to my mind.  Suddenly the sound of cheering voices floated through the corridor and wafted into my ears.  The band was playing and I heard the rumbling of stomping through the walls. "Holy shit…"  I caught my breath, "the pep-rally assembly!  It's today!"  With a quick little jump I was sprinting down the hallway trying to keep my pants up as I neared the Gym.  I couldn't believe that I forgot the pep-rally, since Tai told me at least a million times that Tessa was going to be in it.  Of course, that was obvious , cause after all, she was the head of the cheerleading squad and the sluttiest most obnoxious girl out of the whole lot, in my opinion.  I turned the corner and burst through the doors.

_"Am I late?"  _I thought, catching my breath, but no one even noticed my entrance with all the screaming and shouting in the room.  I reached my normal pace of breathing and looked around  for a suitable place to stand.  Tai was in the front watching Tessa and most of  paths to the front of the gym were constantly being blocked by over excited students.  Dragging my bag to the back of the crowd I stood next to one of my other friends, Izzy, who was staring down at his shoes in constant train of thought.  I nudged him with my elbow and smiled, "How long has this been going on?"  I asked.

He looked at me and smirked, "Hey, Sora.  So, you decided to join us at school today, huh?"  I smirked right back and nodded.  " Well, this has been going on for at least five minutes, I think.  Don't ask me where Tai is, but I think he's in front."

"He is."  I said simply and pointed a finger to the brunette boy in the front.  "I saw him there, when I came in."  Frowning I looked up at Tessa in the center of all the cheerleaders, dancing and flipping around like dolphins.  I rolled my eyes as I watched her lift her arms into the air seductively and swing her hips with an attitude I couldn't and would never want to describe.  My friend, Izzy frowned at this too and turned to me with a 'whatever' kind of look.

"She sure is something else." He said sarcastically, and grimaced when he looked at her further. "But I heard that she dumped Tai again for some guy."  He looked back at me and then back at his shoes as he fixed the pale yellow sleeves of his collar shirt.

I nodded, "She did." and ran two fingers through my bangs, "she dumped him for some poetic-romance creep.  Then she went and called Tai a dumb jock who was unfeeling and unromantic.  What a bitch, can you believe that?"  I glanced at him and he rolled his eyes.  "That little slut think that she rules the world, but I think its time that she learned what her place with Tai.  He's better, smarter, and more caring than she is and on top of all that, she doesn't deserve him at all.  It's her loss if she can't see that for herself.  Isn't it, Izzy?  I don't understand girls like her."

He looked at me and smiled, "Neither do I.  She's not my type at all."

I stared at him, "Your type?  what's your type, Izzy?  I thought you weren't interested in girls."

He was expressionless, "Well I'm not.  But if I was somehow interesting in girls, which I very well may be soon,…I don't think that Tessa would be my type.  She's just too fake and manipulative."

I chuckled, "Yeah, if I was interested in girls, I don't think she'd be my type either."  He closed his eyes and laughed.  "**_If_**…I only said _if I was_, Izzy.  But seriously, why do you think Tai would like her?"

"Well,.." he said and stopped laughing. "I think that he likes her for looks more than personality.  That's usually the case with teenagers these days.  They don't really care what is inside so much as they do about the outside.  It's the cover, not the story inside of it that's interesting."

"Then what are you saying?"  I said with one eyebrow cocked up, "Are you saying that Tai is really that shallow?"

He pursed his lips together in another train of thought, "Not shallow, just ignorant of what Tessa's true intentions with him are.  She just wants to have control over him, but he takes it for her playing 'hard-to-get' with him , or something like that."  He frowned and glanced up at me.  " What do you think, Sora?  You know your best friend better than I do."

I looked up past the crowd and at my friend Tai.  He was standing their staring so desperately up at Tessa that it made me want to go up there and punch some sense into him.  His eyes were pools of longing and defeat and his smile seemed more out of sadness than joy.  "_Did I really know my friend as well as Izzy said?"  _I tried to think of a reason for why he would like Tess, but nothing came to mind but….looks.  Was Tai, truly in love with her?  Or was he just in lust?  For the rest of the assembly I deliberated the idea, and for the rest of the day my mind was strained and provoked by the thought. 


End file.
